Language, Data, & Evidence:

Language, Data, & Evidence:

(Are They Same Thing and Can Teaching Be Accomplished Without in Form of Language)

        Even though we as a society use the words data and evidence as if they were somehow interchangeable, they are very different from one another. Evidence is used to support a claim. However, in science, things can never be proven. They can only be supported. Therefore evidence is used to either valid or support a particular claim. Data, on the other hand, is used as evidence (calculations, numbers, etc.) in order to support various claims.

        Since any form of communication is considered to be a form of language, teaching could be accomplished without its use. Even amongst bees and other insects, language is used to convey important bits of information and teach various members inside their societies, the rules and regulations that each member must abide by. With this in mine, things like dance, art, plays, staring long fully at an object also conveys different  information and is there for language. Thus language is not something that is only unique to humans.  

What is Teaching and Learning

What is Teaching and Learning

        If someone would have asked me this question before I took Biology Application, I would have quickly stated that teaching is providing individuals (students and non-students) with necessary information that allows them to interact more effectively with their environments (social, cultural, political, etc.). I would have also just as quickly replied that learning is utilizing information that you are taught in ways that allow you to both enhance and supplement previous bits of information is ways that were not previous available or known to an individual. However, both of these definitions make teaching and learning seem like they are an exact science and that if the above listed guidelines are strictly followed that teaching and learning can and will take place simultaneously, and this is surely not the case. Therefore, I also believe that along with the above definitions about teaching and learning, both are also impacted by social, cultural and political interactions  as well, and that both teaching and learning must have elements in them that (1) tries to understand an individual’s basis needs and desires for acquiring knowledge (useful or not), (2) that are flexible, (3) challenging and (4) demonstrate a profound respect for diverse backgrounds, (5) has cultural relevancy, and (6) is usable on a daily basis.

       With the above factors in mind, it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that teaching has to be done with not only a great deal of knowledge, but compassion as well. That is in order to teach effectively, teachers cannot simply just go through the motion of pretending to teach and expect their students to learn or want to learn. Different types of strategies must be utilized such as scaffolding and creative ways to teach information must be continually sought out in an effort to make lessons that are already good that much better and lessons that are not good at all more relatable to each student. Thus teaching is more than just passing down information that has been passed down for generation after generation and learning is also more than simply trying to cram information into disinterested students’ heads. However, I do not feel that subject matter has to be so challenging that it is also frustrating.

Although many may believe that if a student does not struggle with things they are challenged with and some type of frustration does not occur during this process that real learning does not occur and the information is not long lasting, I am not a follower of this type of philosophy or dogma. I have learned from numerous situations that I have not found to be neither challenging nor frustrating. I instead, my interest was piqued and I wanted to learn as much as I could about the subject matter. Yet at the same time, I am not saying that a subject should not be challenging. In some cases it should be challenging. But it also must be truly beneficial to a student’s daily life. Otherwise, it is just annoying and something that will be quickly forgot, which is not really learning.

The Theory of Constructivism

When I became reading Henriques’ article about Constructivism, the words assimilation, and accommodation, for some reason rubbed me the wrong way. Throughout history, different groups have been forced to assimilate and make accommodations for conquering groups. Even the word disequilibrium made me feel a little uncomfortable in spite of the fact that I realize in order for students’ misconceptions to be truly challenged, their minds must be continually brought to different levels of disequilibrium in order to better facilitate change. However, I am still not sure how a feel about using assimilation and accommodation in order to get my students to learn, since in my mind, assimilation and accommodation are analogous with creating students who do not truly know how to think for themselves, and, therefore, do not regularly question the status quo even when they know it is wrong or is faulty in nature.

Even though I have great reservations about designing lesson plans that are designed to cause students to think and act in a particular way, I nevertheless, like the Interactive-Constructivist approach to learning over Information Processing, Social Constructivist and Radical Constructivist. The main reason why I prefer Interactive approach over the other types of constructivist approaches is because it incorporates both public and private components that are designed to allow students to interact and reflect on what they learned need rather than having them come to the same type of understanding in spite of the fact that many of them come from diversely different backgrounds within our society. Plus I prefer Interactive-Constructivist because it does not rule out direct instruction embedded in a natural context which in turn allows students to reconcile their previous ideas with their new experiences thus creating conceptual changes. Just as importantly, I do not think that all ideas carry equal values as put forth in the Radical Constructivist interpretation.

"Energy Flows, Nutrients Cycle

1) Describe what is meant by "Energy Flows, Nutrients Cycle". Be specific in terms of ecosystems and explicitly explaining why they are different.

Energy or Energy Flows describes the amount of energy in the form of light. During the process of Energy Flow, chemical energy in organic and inorganic molecules are transformed and used by cellular processes (photosynthesis and respiration). However, ultimately this energy is converted into to heat energy. Also the energy that is supplied by the Sun in the form of light never makes it back to the sun and therefore is said to flow through ecosystems along the many steps in the food chain (trophic levels). Nutrients Cycle, on the other hand, is recycled within an ecosystem.

Nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc, limit biological activity according to their availability, rates of excretion or decomposition. However, unlike Energy Flow which travels in one direction inside ecosystems, Nutrients eventual return back into the soil where they are once again used in cellular processes (photosynthesis and respiration).

2) What are the similarities and differences between the presented ecosystems? Please don't simply look at the surface level similarities and differences. This question isn't about "there are monkeys here and bears here" unless you can explain why that matters.

The similarities between each presented ecosystems had to do with Energy Flows and Nutrients Cycles. In each, except for the cave ecosystems, Apex and Keystone species were present and controlled (trophic levels) both Energy Flows and Nutrients Cycles. However, the main difference between each ecosystem presentation had to do with the availability of light (Energy Flow). For example as mentioned earlier, the presentation on the cave ecosystem demonstrated that although light is an very important ingredient to its ecological make up, there were areas (zones) within the cave where very little light to no light was noted. Yet the cave’s ecosystem and its inhabitants were also depended on Energy Flows and Nutrients Cycles for their survival.

3) How do the presentations speak to the Big Idea? How do they help us further understand the Big Idea?

They help point out the interdependence between Energy Flows and Nutrients Cycles that occurs in each type of ecosystem. They also point their various relationships and importance with different types of ecosystems. The presentations also make sure that the information inside the big picture (Big Idea) is continually being focused upon and reinforced instead being lost because other topics that do not necessarily relate to it to steer what needs to be taught and understood into an unintended direction(s).

4) What were the strengths of this approach to Ecosystems from a teacher's perspective? From a student's perspective?

From a teacher’s perspective, the strengths of this approach to Ecosystems will help students to understand the interdependence between Energy Flows and Nutrients Cycles that occurs in each type of ecosystem. Through the process of understanding these interrelationships, students (a student's perspective) are better able to see and understand how their own ecosystems are affected (positively or adversely) when a disturbance in either the Energy Flows or Nutrients Cycles or both occurs. This in turn will hopefully allow students to better understand topics such as Global Warming, Species Extinction, etc.

5) What were the weaknesses of this approach to Ecosystems from a teacher's perspective? From a student's perspective?

From a teacher’s perspective the weaknesses of this approach to Ecosystems is that some students will not put in a much work as others and, therefore, will not make the necessary connections as to how this information relates to their own ecosystems.

From a student’s perspective the weaknesses of this approach to Ecosystems is as above. Some of the group members will not take an active part in the presentation and depend upon others to do most if not all of the work. Also more dominant students will take over the whole project and delegate meaningless activities to students who they dislike. Plus some students do not like to have to stand in front of their peers and give presentations.

6) What changes do you think would improve this unit?

To be honest, I am not sure. With each learning technique that a teacher employs, there is and will be resistance to it from the students. If somehow the idea of this type of presentation is one that comes from the students, it will be more effective. But how one influences his or her students toward this direction may be extremely difficult at times, however, not impossible.

Inquiry-Based Biology Activity

Inquiry-Based Biology Activity

Truthfully, before we talked about inquiry based learning and inquiry-based biology activities, I was not a believer of its overall usefulness. I have heard so many times the buzz words, “it keeps students actively engaged in their own learning process. But I was not by into those buzz words. For me, inquire based learning was just one of the numerous undertakings to try to improve and streamline the learning and teaching process, and that within another five to ten years, the next great innovation in learning was going to be uncovered amongst the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls. However, I can actually see the validity of using inquiry-based biology activities in my classroom.

For example, the teacher can create various models in order to either further a student about a particular biological concept. Likewise, students can also create models to increase his or her understand about things such as osmosis.

In the process of students designing their own models, it becomes increasing evident which aspects about a particular lesson needs to be either readdressed or modified in order to increase your student’s understanding.  Therefore, Inquiry-based biological models can be used easily to see whether or not your students’ prior knowledge has changed during the course of the lesson and the semester.

Types of questions asked and the Big Picture

        Writing questions in biology

(How My Views Have Changed About Writing Them.)

        Although I am still somewhat leery about the Big Picture and what is said to be able to be accomplished through its use, during last Monday's class, I began to see a very important aspect with regards to its use that I had not previously considered. Prior to Monday's class, I had not realized just how important the questions that are being asked by a teacher in his or her attempt to assess and challenge students' misconcepts about a particular subject truly are. During the class, I began to see that teachers can also accidentally instill misconcepts about the very subject matter he or she is trying to teach simply by asking questions that ultimately lead his or her own students down an unintended pathway.

        Take for example when we reviewed the different questions that were written by our class after we viewed the movie, "The Lion King." Many questions did not even began to address the vast array of the ecological misconcepts that were presented in the movie. Some questions could also easily instill even greater ecological misconcepts inside students' minds if they were presented to them. Thus, the way in which questions are structured and asked is also an important element in making sure that the information a teacher sets out to teach is actually being taught by them.

        However, with this being said, coming up with questions that will both provoke thoughtful analyses on the part of students and keep them on task will be hard. Because although in spite of the fact that many say that if students are having a hard time with a particular subject (area) to spend more time on it, the teaching curriculum and what has to be covered in a certain amount of time will not always allow a teacher to do this more than just occasionally.Therefore, the way in which questions are structured around the Big Picture becomes even the more critical and important for a teacher to implement correctly in his or her classroom.

What I Expect To Get Back As An Instructor

       I expect to get several things out of asking questions that focus on the Big Picture. First of all, I except my students to be able to engage in thougth provoking analyses about any subject matter that is taught by me or by any of their future teachers. I except this because I believe that if a teacher helps his or her students to become truly interested in what is being taught, students will then automatically take control of their own learning experiences. I also expect my students to gain a through understanding  of any subject matter that is being taught to them because by my continued focus on the Big Picture and making sure that I ask the right types of questions, my students will hopefully also begin to ask these types of questions as well.

The Lion King and the Big Picture

        How Does The Lion King Ecology Inform Our (My) Big Idea

        First of all, I still do not know how I feel about the Big Picture Idea and how it relates to education. In class, we keep talking about how the use of the Big Picture Idea will enable teachers to better link their students' learning environments with real life experiences. We have also discuss that by using the Big Picture Idea, it will make it much easier for students to gain greater control over their own learning experiences.

        When I say I am still not completely convinced, it is because many countries, such as Korea and India, still employ traditional models for educating their students, and their students are out performing ours. However, I am in no shape or form defending the use of traditional models as being more effective than Constructivism. But I am saying that I do not believe that one teaching model can be utilized to effectively teach all students.

        Take the Lion King for example. Even though the Big Picture Idea is supposed to help students gain a better and complete understanding about Ecology by allowing teachers to uncover and resolve many of their students' misconceptions about it, research has shown that many misconceptions are not changed merely by presenting individuals with information that contradicts their old beliefs. In fact, many individuals routinely force contradictory information to fit into their old beliefs rather than accepting them of being true. Radiometric Dating is but one example of  how
individuals try to force new information to conform to their old beliefs.

        Many individuals, who truly want to believe that the earth is no older than seven to ten thousands years old, vehemently assert that Radiometric Dating other than the use of Caron 14, a dating method that can determine the age of fossils up to 50,000 to 60,000 years, is both inaccurate and unreliable. Thus, despite the fact that most in the Scientific community believe that Radiometric Dating is both accurate and reliable, these same individuals contend to assert that non Carbon 14 Radiometric Dating that estimate the earth being approximately 4.5 billion years old cannot and should not be believed over Biblical references.

How Have My Ideas Change As A Result?

      The point that I am trying to get across is that just because a teacher employs the Big Picture in order to help their students gain a better understanding about Ecology while at the same time dispelling their misconcepts about it, will not always prove to be any more effective than other teaching models (traditional and non-traditional). However, with that being said, I do see how the use of the Big Picture can be utilized in order to help students remain focused on important information and concepts that are  being taught.

        Once again, I will reference The Lion King and how it relates to Ecology. Even before, many students ever get the chance to be formally introduced to it, movies such as The Lion King have already planted many misconceptions about ecological systems and animal hierarchies in their minds. Thus when children are not even old enough to go to school, they are already led to believe that ecological systems are based on good (Lions) versus evil (Hyenas). This is also where and why I believe that the Big Picture Model can aid teachers in uncovering many of these misconcepts. However, if a  teacher does not continually probe his or her students regarding their misconceptions, the Big Picture model is then no more effective than Traditional models. Therefore,  additional safeguards must be constantly utilized in order to help students dispel their misconcepts or they will only force new information to fit older beliefs and cause their misconceptions to be further reinforced.

         In addition, although many students may consciously realize that one animal cannot and does not make a big difference in "The Circle of Life," we as Americans are cultural taught that one individual can make a big difference in the lives of  others. Therefore, teachers also have to be aware of the fact that many of their students' misconcepts are also cultural, societal, religious, and political based and they may also need to undercover the true nature of their students' misconcepts before they are able to change them.